Automatic control for window shades



Oct. 30 1923. 1,472,703

R. WALSER AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR WINDOW SHADES Filed Dec. 16 192? fill/E8858 IN VENTOR v ROBERT M flLSEIE I A TTORNEYS Patented @ct. 3Q, 1923.

. ROBERT WALSER, OF UNION HILL, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL F03 WINDOEV SHADES.

Application filed December 18, 1922. Serial No. 607,379.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT VVALsnR, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Union Hill, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Control for Window Shades, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to a means to automatically cause a window shade to be lowered in rainy weather and more particularly relates to means for retaining the shadev in the raised position and automatically releasable by rain collecting in a controlling de- -v1ce.

The general object of my invention is to provide a device for the stated purpose, simplein construction and unfailing in operation.

Reference is to be hadto the accompany ing drawings forming a part of this specification, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of one example of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a window shade and controlling means embodying my invention showing the same installed in a. window;

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse vertical section on the line 2-2, Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front view of a fragment of the shade with a portion broken away to show the form of the rods incorporated in the shade to aid in lowering the same;

Figure 4: is a partly sectional front elevation of the shade controlling means.

In carrying out my invention in accordance with the illustrated example an angle strip 10 is provided adapted to be secured to the under side of the bottom rail of the outer sash as indicated. A shade 11 is secured to the bent upper end of the strip 10 or otherwise fastened to sash A. The strip 10 is upturned at its front end as at 18, the upturned end being spaced from the body of the strip. A facing plate 14 is formed with a trough 15 inclined from the ends toward the center, there being a drip hole 16 at the center of the trough for the escape of the rain collectingin said trough. Beneath the drip hole 16 is a receptacle 17 advantageously in the form of an elongated tube closed at one end by a cork or other plug 18. The receptacle 17 is on a rockable bar 19 having a sleeve 20 which is rigid with a pin 21 which is turnable in bearings afforded by the strip 10 and its upturned end13, the arrangement being such that upon the receptacle 17 becoming filled with rain from the drip hole 16, the bar 19 will be overbalanced and said bar and receptacle will drop, turning about the axis of the sleeve 20 as a center. The bar 19 has a counter-balance weight 22 thereon at that side of the pivot oppositethe receptacle 17 so as to normally balance the bar 19 with the receptacle 17 in the raised position when empty. A cord 23 is secured to the sash A at each side and runs toward the center where it is continuous with a single cord 24 adapted to be looped about the rolled shade 11. The lower end of the cord element 24 has a ring 25 thereon which is adapted to be passed onto the front end ofthe pin 21, said end projecting beyond the front of the facing plate 14:. The pin 21 has one side bevelled as at 26, Figure 2, and the arrangement is such that as the pin turns by the lowering of the filled receptacle '17 and bar 19, the bevelled surface 26 will be brought uppermost and therefore the ring 25 will readily slip from the pin 21 thereby releasing the cord 24L and permitting the rolled or gathered shade 11 to drop. The shade 11 has incorporated therein at intervals horizontal weight bars 27 for insuring the dropping of the curtain to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1 from the rolled or gathered position shown in Figure 2. In order that the shade may be adjusted to suit windows of different widths, vertical seams 28 are formed therein, the seams forming cutting lines so that the shade may be cut lengthwise along any given line presented by a seamto suit the width of a particular window. In the weight rods 27 I form notches 29 at intervals corresponding with the distances between the seams 28, said notches permitting the rods 27 to be readily broken off to conform the length of the rods to a shade of given width.

With the described construction, assuming the shade to be held in the raised posi- -tion as in Figure 2, upon rain occurring and accumulating in the receptacle 17, the clownward rocking of said receptacle andbar 19 will release the cord 22'as described, permitting the shade to drop, thereby excluding the rain.

' I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit be considerably varied Without departure,

from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a device of the class described, means to hold a shade in a raised position, means to retain the holding means in shade-holding position, and means adapted to receive rain and movable under the increased Weight of the rain to a position to cause said retaining means to release said shade-holding means.

2. In a device of the class described, a cord adapted to hold a shade in the raised position, a device turnable about its own axis, means on the cord adapted to engage said turnable device, and a rain receptacle con nected with said turnable device for turning the same When said receptacle receives a predetermined quantity of rain, the turning of said turna ble, device serving to release said cord. 7

3. A device of the class described including a trough, a rockable rain receptacle adapted to receive rain from said trough, an element movable by the rocking of said receptacle, and means to hold the shade in the raised position, said last mentioned 7 means being engageable With said element, and releasable thereby upon the turning of said element by the rocking of said receptacle.

4. A device of the class described including a trough, means tosupport the same on a Window sash, means to hold the shade in a raised position adjacent tosaid sash, a receptacle adapted to receive rain from said trough, and a pin rockable by said rain receptacle When the latter receives a predetermined quantity of rain, said shade holding means adapted toengage said pin and releasable by the turning thereof with the rocking of the said receptacle.

' 5. A. device of the class described includ ing a trough, means to support the same on a sash of a Window, a cord to hold the shade in a raised position adjacent to said sash, a counter-balance receptacle adapted to receive rain from .said trough, and to rock upon receiving a predetermined quantity of rain, a pin turnable with the rocking of said receptacle, said pin having a bevelled end, and an element on said shade-holding cord adapted to engage said pin, the turning of the pin serving to present the bevelled end thereof to said element on the cord for releasing said element and the cord by the turning of the pin.

ROBERT WA sER. 

